A PARAMEDIC told today how he narrowly escaped death when a motorist smashed into his ambulance.

Martin Hammond, aged 44, was tending to a stroke victim after a 999 call when a car ploughed into the emergency vehicle, ripping the door off.

The accident happened at 10.20pm on Sunday in Newhampton Road West, Wolverhampton.

Mr Hammond, who has worked for West Midlands Ambulance Service for 20 years, said the car driver failed even to slow down following the crash.

"We had just loaded the patient on to the vehicle using a stretcher and were treating her," he said. "I heard a loud crunch and instinctively jumped into the back of the ambulance. The car ripped the door clean off.

"If I hadn't acted as I did, I would have been crushed and killed without a shadow of a doubt.

"If it had happened 30 seconds earlier all of the crew and the patient would have been killed."